Motorcycle Tires
About Motorcycle Tyres
If you look at cars, they come packed with a lot of features and options to maximise comfort. But in a motorcycle, there are only a few of them. This is true even for the safety features. Much of the safety of your ride depends on your ride’s brakes and also motorcycle tyres.
Shopping for motorcycle tyres is probably not something that you do on a weekly basis unless you are a professional bike race driver. If you are like the majority of the people out there, you can install a fresh set of tyres and forget about them for a year or so. If you are looking for some fresh rubber to cover your wheels with, there are few things to know before you buy. If you think about it, it is not the motorcycle itself that is moving. It is the tyres that move, and the vehicle just goes along with it. And therefore, a good pair of tyres are vital to a comfortable and safe journey. This article will tell you the things you should know about buying tyres for your ride.
Different types of motorcycle tyres
Just like different types of motorcycles differ in their style, construction and purpose, tyres that go on them also vary. Even though all of them provide cushioning and grip on the road, the load and road conditions that each of them has to deal with is different. Some motorcycles are heavy, some are light, some ride on the road, some ride in the mud, and some others are gas guzzlers that help you prove your machismo on the racetrack. Here is a list of all the different types of tyres that you will find out there.
Cruiser tyres
These tyres are a lot stiffer than others. That’s because these are made for heavier cruiser motorcycles. In cruiser motorcycles not only will the motorcycle itself be heavy, but usually people also pack heavy luggage on top of them. To compensate for this, cruiser tyres have tougher sidewalls. Another distinctive feature of cruiser tyre is their deeper treads. Cruiser motorcycles put on more miles than regular ones. The deeper treads and tougher construction mean less wear and tear. So, when you compare the weight of cruiser tyres against others, the former will always be heavier.
Performance tyres
These tyres are optimised to give the best performance for sports bikes. They have fewer and shallower threads because most of these bikes are meant to be used on well-maintained dry roads. Performance tyres that come for street bikes will have treads that are a bit deeper. The fewer and shallower treads allow for maximum contact area between the road and the tyre. They are also softer than other tyres. All these factors combine to provide a better grip and better handling. But these tyres do not have as long as a life of a cruiser tyre. Some manufacturers use tougher materials in performance tyres designed for street bikes.
Sport-touring tyres
This is the answer if you need the benefits of both performance tyres and cruiser tyres. Sport touring tyres combine great mileage and great handling. For this reason, not only will you find them in sports bikes, but they are the staple in regular street bikes as well. They are not as heavy as cruiser tyres but have deeper grooves and have tougher material than performance tyres. Unlike performance tyres, sport-touring tyres can handle wet and bumpy roads well. This is also the most used of all types of motorcycle tyres. It can hold up well above 8000 kilometres.
Dual sport motorcycle tyres or ADV tyres
If you are not an expert, it might be difficult to tell the above three tyres apart just by looking at them. But not the ADV tyres. They stand out from all the rest with their bulging treads that make them look like tractor tyres. These tyres are designed for off-road use. They can handle anything from mud and sand to rocks. The specification of these tyres will say how much they are optimised for off-road use and on-road use in percentage. If the off-road percentage is higher, the less comfortable it will be on regular roads. And like cruiser tyres, Dual sport motorcycle tyres can also handle heavy loads.
Tips on how to buy Motorcycle Tyres Online
So, when the time comes to replace your motorcycle tyres, you should not ever go with whatever that you can get your hands on. You should be meticulous in evaluating the pros and cons of each of them and should ensure that it is the right and best kind of tyre before making the purchase. Here are a few tips you should follow when you select a tyre for your bike.
- Type of the tyre – There are a few different types of tyre you can choose from. The tyre you choose should be right for the bike and also your purpose. You don’t want to use expensive performance tyres if you are going to use the motorcycle on regular roads. You can still go for the cheaper performance tyres that are more suitable for street use, though.
- Go for the right size – Four factors go into determining the size of a tyre. So, when you are ordering online, make sure to select the right measurements. But for custom tyres, there is no harm in using a tyre a bit wider than the stock tyre on your vehicle.
- The speed rating of the tyre – All tyres have a speed rating that says at what sustained speed can you ride without the danger of a tyre failure, with the maximum load at given tyre pressure. The maximum load and optimum pressure will be on the sidewall of the tyre. But the speed rating will be marked using letters.
- Construction of the tyre – There are different types of construction that you will find in tyres. There are belted tyres that use Kevlar and fibreglass to add strength to the structure. Radial tyres use multiple layers of rubber for strength. Another factor to look for is if the tyre is tubeless or tubed.
Tyres are among the important safety features of motorcycles, after the brakes. Making sure that your motorcycle has the right set of tyres when you ride can be, literally, a matter of life and death. You can find all kinds of these products using our shopping search engine . Finally, don’t forget to check out all the other amazing products from the car supplies category.
Question & Answer
Are there tubeless motorcycle tyres?
Yes, there are tubeless motorcycle tyres. In fact, pretty much all new motorcycles use tubeless tyres. But there are a few benefits to tyres with tubes though. They are easier to repair and are generally cheaper. That’s why tubeless tyres are not popular for off-road uses. Tubeless tyres, on the other hand, offer a better fit than regular tyres. They do not bulge out in the event of a puncture. That means even if the tyre is punctured, you can drive a few more kilometres. And the looser fit of tubed tyres makes them more susceptible to come off from the rim at high speeds.
Are motorcycle tyres expensive?
Generally speaking, motorcycle tyres are more expensive than car tyres. But there is a reason for it. A lot more engineering and testing goes into a bike tyre than a car tyre. The tolerance and precision of them are much tighter. In the case of motorcycles, all of the handling, balancing and load-bearing depends on the few inches of rubber between the rim and the road. Also, losing your traction midway on a motorcycle is much more dangerous than losing traction when you are in a car. But in the end, motorcycles only need two tyres. So, the overall cost will be less than if you are to change all four tyres of a car.
How are motorcycle tyres measured?
There are four components to specify the measurement of motorcycle tyres. They are rim diameter, tyre width, height and aspect ratio. Rim diameter is the inner diameter of the tyre measured from the edge that meets the rim when the tyre is installed. The width is the distance between the two ends of the widest part of the tyre. If the tyre width is more, it will improve the handling but is bad for mileage. Another thing is the aspect ratio of the tyre. The height is the thickness of the tyre or the difference between the outer and inner diameter. And the height to width ratio is the aspect ratio.
How long do motorcycle tyres last?
How many miles a tyre lasts depends on a lot of factors. For example, performance tyres do not last very long. They have softer surface material that provides a firmer grip and wears out faster. The maximum they can last is five thousand kilometres. On the other hand, sport-touring tyres can last up to ten thousand or twelve thousand kilometres. The type of tyres that last the longest is the cruiser tyre. You only need to replace them after 15,000 kilometres. But all these are averages. Depending on the condition of the road that you drive on, the tyres can last more or less.
If you are looking for a new set of tyres for your motorcycle, look no further because you are in the best place to buy motorcycle tyres. Using the retail search engine on Shops.ae, you can look for the best motorcycle tyres in the market. You might also be able to find motorcycle tyres for sale. Another attractive feature you get from Shops.ae is that you can compare products against each other and select the better and more affordable one. Explore more than 500+ shops offering tyres here on Shops.ae including brands like Michelin, Dunlop, Pirelli, Bridgestone, Harley Davidson, Shinko, and Yamaha.